The mystery of the world is personally one of my favorite topics, as we've not even come close to exploring every inch of our own planet. As much as I want to see us expand outwards, we should not avoid looking to our own planet with an explorer's eye like many did in the past. This particular article makes me wonder how many unexplained events that ended up in folk legend were the cause of some unique weather pattern or then-unexplained event which we better understand today. I personally saw something like this very recently. On a trip up north towards Vermont for some skiing I spotted that the moon was particularly large that one night. Later on as we were passing by Boston we saw what appeared to be a black line cutting straight through the moon. It extended to each end of the horizon and while it was a cloud, no others were in the sky, and it was so uniform throughout that it made me doubt my own common sense!

This post was interesting to me because living in Virginia Beach, we dont see much interesting amounts of snow, nor rainfall, so we dont know about the many things weather can do. Now knowing this about weather makes it more intersting,and makes me wonder what else could happen??

"For Regional Geography, I ask that all my students take an online quizzes before coming to class because it is very difficult to intelligently discuss European issues if you don’t know the countries of Europe, where they are and what other countries are on their borders. Quizzes and knowing places doesn’t define geography, but if geography were English literature, knowing about places could be described as the alphabet–before you write a sonnet or critique an essay, you better know your ABC’s and basic grammar. Given that, I like the Lizard Point Geography quizzes, Sheppard Software quizzes and those from Click that ‘Hood; they are simple, straightforward and comprehensive."

Drop bears are less likely to attack people with Australian accents, according to experts at the University of Tasmania.

Cam E's insight:

Beware the dangerous Drop Bear! This marsupial can be up to 260 pounds, and are extremely fake! There's been a popular joke around the internet and Australia about this fake animal, and while it's funny, it's also an interesting experiment in other culture's conceptions of Australia. The popular imagination is Australia is filled with animals waiting to kill you, and while that may be... more true than other places. It's not nearly as bad as one would think. I think the idea that Drop Bears only target tourists is a parody of that fear.

Fearing that climate change could wipe out their Pacific archipelago, the leaders of Kiribati are considering an unusual backup plan: moving the population to Fiji.

How urgent is the issue of climate change? That question is not only geographic in content, but the response might also be somewhat contingent on geography as well. If your country literally has no higher ground to retreat to, the thought of even minimal sea level change would be totally devastating.

This is more than immigration, this plan is moving an entire country within another! Climate change doesn't effect the world equally in the same way that different countries are nowhere near equal. In a place as small as Kiribati, the entire place could be wiped out. The population of the nation is around 100,000 for reference.

This shows one of the worst consequences of climate change, large scale migration. If sea levels continue to rise, millions of people will be displaced and other countries will have to take in these environmental refugees. Climate change will directly and indirectly impact the geography of the world. Population geography will be drastically altered when areas like Kiribati are wiped off the map.

The people of Kiribati are facing trouble with their archipelago and are considering moving their population to Fiji. Kiribati straddles the equator and is facing severe climate change with many areas rising about sea level. Many of the population has already moved and the increase in sea levels has contaminated the fresh water supply. Kiribati is close to Fiji but there is a major concern on where all of their population will live if making the move. Kiribati is relatively poor and government is trying to purchase land in Fiji to secure their people's safety.

Do you think that you have problems? Review the problem that the people on the Island of Kiribati have right now. Their paradise island is slowly sinking into the ocean, and will leave these people without homes, and livelihoods. Imagine you entire world as you know it slipping below the waves one tide at a time. This is the very real problem that the citizens of this island paradise has right now. The good news is that the people of the Island of Fiji have invited the people from this and other islands to migrate to their island. At a time in our world when refugees from Syria are being turned away from being allowed to escape from the murder machine known as ISIS, this is a welcome sign. I hope the peaceful people of the Island of Kiribati find new safe homes and occupations in Fiji. Fred Issa,

This article reminds me of another video i've seen recently of a grouper fish swallowing a 4-foot black tip shark whole. A fisherman caught that on camera while trying to reel in the shark. Time and time again I'm reminded that not everything in nature is as it seems and that the unexpected should be expected.

This makes me want to buy some scuba gear and take some diving classes, I ought to conquer my fear of sharks by safely observing them with a research team!

Amazing photos, there are so many different kinds of life that exists in the Ocean. As the Great Barrier Reef falls victim to climate change and pollution, the number of species at risk is almost calculable.

Australia's marine life is amazing, being able to hide by blending in to their environment is a testament to the waters that Australia has. The diverse wildlife of Australia waters is shown to be an adaptive bunch and begs the question: How many more animals are out there that we do not know of?

UK comes 10th in OECD index, behind US and Scandinavian countries but ahead of France and Germany (RT @guardian: Australia is rated best place to live and work for third year running http://t.co/303ziQyhmm...

I wonder if these ratings take "horrible spiders hiding in your car and shoes waiting to strike" into account, but in all honesty this is not much of a problem in the cities of Australia. Tourists and foreign businesses in the area do have to worry about the occasional Drop Bear (make sure to look this one up), but in all seriousness Australia has an interesting take on things, compulsory voting ensures that citizen participation in the government is always high, and health scores far outstrip many other industrialized regions.

DE: The fact that Australians fight in the War in Afghanistan only reinforces just how small the globe is and how the West has literally become more and more its own entity. Australia, since its colonial days, has contributed soldiers to both world wars, Vietnam and many other conflicts, including Afghanistan. Their citizens too lay their lives down in the name of democracy and freedom. While it is an American war, soldiers from throughout the free world (America, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Australia, etc.) unite under common beliefs and leadership to attempt to spread their democratic ideals.

The article brings up some important facts about the conglomerate known as "The West," and while Australia is geographically displaced in relation to the other countries, it plays just as much as a part due to its history and the cultural heritage of its people.

Asia Times Online. The Asia News Hub providing the latest news and analysis regarding economics, events and trends in business, economy and politics throughout Asia.

Cam E's insight:

With this, Indonesia has formally entered the South China Sea dispute. The question I have is why now of all times? They've stayed out of it for over two decades. Could it be due to China's increased aggression? If they're intent on taking the area, then their opponents will also logically get louder. Maybe in this case Indonesia always had a stake in the matter, but didn't feel the need to speak up until tensions had risen to the point they are at now.

Southeast Asia is right in China's backyard, and is very important to China as a trading partner. Not only this, but China is on its way to becoming a superpower, and expanding their influence in every direction is one way to cement this fact, usually at the expense of others.

The article discusses how China’s wish to build a rail road through southeast Asia will most likely incur a high cost from the country of Laos that the rail road will go through. China is anxious to regain its power in the area and its terms for the rail road will leave Laos severely indebted to China to such an extent that many see it as China trying to make Laos a vessel state.

This is interesting, Laos pays for a railroad that they can't afford because China wants it? Now how does that make sense. These people that barely make enough money to live as it is can no where near afford to have a railroad put through their country especially when they won't be able to reap many of the benefits. Even with China's letting the country borrow the money to fund the project not only do they have to pay back the money but also give China minerals throughout the duration of the loan. The people of Laos need to really think about the consequences to this railroad could be, both good and bad, for the country before any agreements are made to construct the railroad.

Once again China is getting its way without having to bear almost any coast. When the nation of China makes a deal with a neighboring nation, that deal is almost always one sided. China would not enter into this railroad agreement, if it was not beneficial to the governments bottom line. The looser in this scenario will be Laos. Laos is a rural largely undeveloped nation that would love to become a major economic partner with the dominate nation in the region. The problem with this scenario is, Laos will see little of the actual bennifits of this rail line . This railroad is being built to secure Chinese influence in the region. China hopes to dominate this region and make it a Chinese spear of influence. Laos will foot the bill for the railroad, and be dominated by China. Laos is getting the losing end of this bargain.

Indonesia has the largest share of the world's mangroves — coastal forests that have adapted to saltwater environments. They play important environmental and ecological roles.

Mangroves play a key role of acting as an ecological buffer in coastal region that provide the area with resilience against tsunamis, hurricanes and other forms of coastal flooding. Their role in carbon sequestration is also vital as energy emissions globally continue to rise. So let's jump scales: how are global issues locally important? How is the local deeply global? How can stakeholders at either scale find common ground with the other?

Mangroves are a natural barrier to hurricanes, tsunamis, and the flooding that come with it in a very important way. It's often suggested that there is a battle between opposing sides of the environment and business, but in a situation like this, and in many others, the natural environment exists for a reason and protects the land against severe damage. In this way there's an economic incentive to protect natural environments as well as an ecological one.

Agricultural development in Indonesia threatens local mangrove ecosystems as well as global systems. Indonesia's growing palm oil industry is providing an increased income for the country, but at what cost? Mangrove swamps are one of the most beneficial ecosystems to have, and the list of positive impacts includes decreased erosion. decreased water turbidity, better air quality, larger fish populations, just to name a few. But, global interests in palm oil are swaying Indonesia to convert these environments into agricultural lands. Combined with Indonesia's high rate of deforestation, this is causing major erosion issues as well as affecting the coral reefs. Fish populations are being affected since habitats are destroyed, affecting fishermen. Though these issues are prevalent, the trade off of one environment for money is causing Indonesia's integrated environments to collapse, which in time will be an incredibly expensive issue.

This brings into debate the issues involved when wealthier countries take interest in the resources of other countries. While the less developed country may need the economic resources provided by the developed country, often times the environmental impacts are not considered.

These mangroves are key areas for palm oil development and are the source of income for many people who live in the areas with they grow. But the cost of using these Mangroves is devastating to the environment. They protect the coast from flooding as well as help with carbon sequestration. What needs to be done is the locals need to be educated on the long term damage being done by destroying the mangroves. Also there has to be an economic alternative, if the locals have no other way to make a living why would they stop?

Another image gallery! This one showcases the Thailand flooding. I found the first picture immediately interesting in that the highway signs are identical to our ones over here, save the difference of language. There's also just as much play as their is damage here. Many pictures show children and even older people taking the time to play around in the sudden water that floods into their city. In countries where flooding is a matter of "when" rather than "if," the citizens are often more prepared and take a less frantic approach as they know what to do. That being said, it is more rare of flooding to hit Bangkok than many other places in Thailand, so this did cause some serious disaster.

Yet another collection of pictures I'm scooping, but this time there's over 100 of them! Getting a western view into the insulated society of Burma is a rare opportunity, this shows some interesting pastimes such as Water buffalo surfing, but also things of major cultural significance, such as the importance of Buddhism.

This article depicts the differences and the little things that we in the USA take for granted for instance in this case it is a cd that is known as the "Western" type of misc and mass media culture that has been transported in this Burmese society. It truly is the little things such as the Robbie Williams CD that is being depicted as not only the Western musical society but also being grouped with Bob Marley songs that would depict from the Burmese translation the Western society. And even though the people in this society don't know what the lyrics mean they can still be moved by the melody.

I found the fact that the government of Burma banned certain music, it seems like an odd thing to refuse the people of the country, but we forget that it is the small things that we take for granted in the US, that are seen as luxuries in other parts of the world and that is an interesting idea to wrap your mind around.

China called on the United States on Tuesday to restrain ally Japan and chided another U.S. ally, the Philippines, at the end of talks between American and Chinese defense chiefs ...

Cam E's insight:

I wanted to scoop this article for the implications of the headline rather than the dispute that it covers, as it shows an interesting dynamic between East Asian countries and the United States. China is calling for the US to "Restrain" Japan as if Japan were solely a proxy of the US. This has historical context as the US was integral in rebuilding Japan after World War 2, and to this day Japan is not allowed to have a traditional "military", but still find a way to have one through the Japanese Self Defense Force... which is 10th on many lists for most powerful armies in the world. The wording of the article also suggests that China doesn't see Japan as too much of a threat, it suggests that Japan is only a minor nuisance and it's more effective to just go to the "higher power" of sorts than to deal with them. This is of course a little presumptuous as Japan is independent, and quite powerful on their own. Finally this article demonstrates the dynamic of the US and the rest of the world. The US doesn't necessary have to even take action, but just by supporting or condemning something, the actions of other countries will change.

Through his Vanishing Cultures Project photographer Taylor Weidman documents threatened ways of life. About his work in Mongolia, he states: "Mongolian pastoral herders make up one of the world's largest remaining nomadic cultures. For millennia they have lived on the steppes, grazing their livestock on the lush grasslands. But today, their traditional way of life is at risk on multiple fronts. Alongside a rapidly changing economic landscape, climate change and desertification are also threatening nomadic life, killing both herds and grazing land."

Time for more pictures, my favorite part of scooping. Mongolia is almost entirely forgotten in US education, to the point where many of the people I know aren't even sure if there's a government at all. My favorite part of these pictures comes from the fusion of technology and tradition though. We see traditional housing and boys carrying water to their homes, and then a flat screen television in the makeshift house. Motorcycles are used to herd animals, and solar polar is used to power cell phones for the nomads. What I think is important here among other things is the idea that humanity has potentially reached a point where we cannot go backwards tech-wise. The dark ages in Europe saw knowledge being lost, and there are claims that humanity will wipe out its own tech in a great war, but now that we have the knowledge and ability to use solar panels and automobiles, I don't believe we'll ever lose them as a species.

In times of ecological hardships and global economic restructuring, many children of nomadic herders are seeking employment out of the rural areas and in the urban environment. The cultural change that this represents is for Mongolia enormous and is captured wonderfully in this photo gallery. Pictured above are the ger (yurt) camps that ring the capital city Ulaanbaatar. Ulaanbaatar houses a permanent population of displaced nomads. During the winter, Ulaanbaatar is the second most air-polluted capital in the world due largely to coal burning.

Focusing less on Kate Middleton herself, but more of what's going on here. It seems very normal to us, but If an alien came down to Earth and was only provided basic geopolitical understanding, they might wonder why a royal family from across the world is visiting this country out in the ocean? New Zealand was one of the last major landmasses settled by humans, with only a 300-400 year gap between the first settlers, and the appearance of the Dutch. It later became a dominion of the British Empire, which is why it's now very European.

In the 1960s when the island of Surtsey (literally) erupted onto the scene off the coast of Iceland, it's national sovereignty was not really called into question. The seamount, or near island named Ferdinandea in the Mediterranean is not even an island yet and countries are already positioning themselves to claim it. Only 6 feet below sea level, this seamount is incredibly valuable real estate because is a country can successfully came this territory, they could also lay claim to an Exclusive Economic Zone, extending up to 200 nautical miles beyond the coast.

This isn't an article from Oceania necessarily, but one that pertains to it. In an area made up of small island nations, the literal overnight emergence of new ones can change the politics of the surrounding countries, and even the number of seats at the United Nations in the far future.

When I read something like this all I can think is maybe this is what happened to Atlantis. What if Atlantis was an island like this that existed just long enough for people to build a society on and then it sank beneath the sea. Another think this makes me think of is the novel “Jingo” by Terry Pratchett, in it an island rises from the sea and leads to a war over which country owns it. This is just an interesting phenomenon that leads to world arguments.

The EEZ policy that exist has made every space up for contentious conflict. The miles off the coast of Surtsey and other small islands have become valuable because of EEZ and conflict exist over islands that are uninhabited and useless. Economic geography can influence political geography when it comes to these small island and their exclusive economic zone.

Claims for a volcanic-induced mass of land? In this day and age, one would hope that something like this would not lead to a long and drawn-out dispute. There is much more pertinent issues present in this world.

How about this for an idea? Let's leave the "island" neutral and allow it it to be used as a temporary destination for whomever visits it. It should be protected and preserved by everyone interested but not so much that visitors cannot temporarily explore and enjoy the island.

The insect is so large — as big as a human hand — it's been dubbed a "tree lobster." It was thought to be extinct, but some enterprising entomologists scoured a barren hunk of rock in the middle of the ocean and found surviving Lord Howe Island...

Island Biogeography is endlessly fascinating and provides some of the most striking species we have on Earth. The physical habitat is fragmented and the genetic diversity is limited. Within this context, species evolve to fill ecological niches within their particular locale. This NPR article demonstrates the story of but one of these incredible species that never could have evolved on the continents. In modern society, more extinctions are happening on islands than anywhere else as 'specialist' species are in greater competition with 'generalists.'

I wouldn't want to come across that in my bed at night! The Europeans called this thing the "Tree Lobster" in the past, and it seems to hold up. Is it possible that these critters exist only on this island? What movement in the past caused them to be isolated like this?

On Ball's Pyramid the stick insect is different than any other insect I have seen. The size of it is terrifying, as it as big as a human hand. There are many different kinds of animals or insects someone can find on remote islands, islands such as Madagascar, Australia and even on this small island, which is located off of Australia's coast in the Pacific.

Isolation can lead to some remarkable examples of evolution. This "tree lobster" is an example of that. On an island cut off from many predators and hold little resources, the tree lobster has found a way to survive.

A truly remarkable story. A prehistoric 'stick' insect that lived on an island off the coast of Australia was obliterated by rats that came to the island on English ships. Everyone thought they were extinct until one day some researchers found 24 of them living on a remote piece of land not too far from the insect's homeland. This was an uninhabited piece of rock, essentially, with very little to offer any life form but the stick insects found just enough to survive. How they got here is unknown but after the find and a sleepless zoo worker, this insect is flourishing in captivity. The move to release them back into the wild is ongoing.

Thank God It's... Saturday? December 30th was cancelled in Samoa due to the country being right on the border of the international date line. It's important for them to stay in step with New Zealand and Australia where many of their business connections lie. It's important to remember that calenders are a man made invention too, as odd as this whole situation sounds.

I agree with the decision Samoa made to switch to the West side of the International Date Line. By doing this, the country completely skipped a day. Also, years ago Samoa switched from driving on the right side of the road (American style) to the left side (British style). They made these changes because their economy is connected to countries on the other side of the IDL, such as Australia and New Zealand.

Samoa and its neighbor Tokelau decided to undergo a time change that would align them with their Asian trading partners. With this new time zone, Samoa will be three hours ahead of eastern Australia as opposed to being 21 hours behind and 22 hours ahead of California, rather than the previous 2 hours it was behind it. In the Pacific, this tactic of shifting time is not unusual as many island nations have, at one point or another, shifted time zones, date lines, and daylight savings times. This move will make it much easier for Samoa to do business with Australia and New Zealand, which is important because their economies are linked closely to the rest of Asia, especially China. Samoa's prime minister explicitly stated that these economic factors were the driving forces behind this time change decision and the decision had nothing to do with trying to be the first country to enter the new year. I was surprised that a country could just decide this type of change at any point, but there seems to be no legal reason why a country could not do that. Whatever time zone a country feels it should enter it can, but telling the citizens about such a change seems like it would be hard to do. When everyone is accustomed to a certain time zone, I feel like making this change can have an effect on people especially those who travel. Getting used to a new time zone seems like it would take time to adjust to, but I guess for island nations in the Pacific, this is no new phenomenon as others have already engaged in these moves.

Samoa is making a lot of changes. Just reading about the time zone switch called for the need to focus on the switches. I understand they want to stay up with business times in Brisbane. The PM switched the driving side from right to left to be inline with New Zealand and Australia. Now the PM is going to try to change the flag. Maybe Samoa is making a few too many changes. Where's the cultural identity going?

It's unfortunate to see that climate change has become so bad that scientists are now re-working maps to reflect the increasing temperatures. As a geography student, I'd be interested to see this heat map side-by-side with a map on wildfires in Australia. My guess is there would be parallels.

Those who argue that climate change / global warming is not occurring should just look at a map! Australia's addition of 2 temperature deviation ranges isn't just a random decision. Off-the-charts temperatures on a scale never experienced before in the area are the culprit. This seems to echo the decisions of many newspapers and television networks I've seen, which have added more colors to their temperature maps to compensate for the recent southwest heat wave and (you guessed it) the infamous polar vortex. after all, what good does a visualization map do if it's all just one or two colors? (Not to play devil's advocate, but it does go to show that changes are in fact happening.)

The Supreme Court in the Philippines approves a birth control law, despite a fierce fight by the influential Catholic Church.

Cam E's insight:

Many people wouldn't think it, but the Philippines is the third largest Catholic country in the world after Brazil and Mexico. As expected this is a product of colonization, this time being from the Spanish during the 16th century. Over 80 percent of the country identifies as Catholic, that's about 75.5 million people. An important thing to keep in mind in catholic countries is the presence of the influence from an extra-national body, this being the Catholic Church. In this way the views of the Pope wield great influence.

"Think of coffee and you will probably think of Brazil, Colombia, or maybe Ethiopia. But the world's second largest exporter today is Vietnam. How did its market share jump from 0.1% to 20% in just 30 years, and how has this rapid change affected the country?"

The story of how this happened is linked to colonization, as most articles like this are. Vietnam was a climate primed to make coffee, but what effect does the introduction of this foreign crop have on the local wildlife and fauna? When the carefully developed placement of plants and animals is disturbed by human interference, there will always be consequences in some way.

Globalization is a polarizing topic, and that is embodied very well in this article concerning the economic ascendancy of the Vietnamese economy. Globalization is responsible for the colonization of the nation, and the subsequent century of bloodshed between opposing nationalist and international forces. Global trade, however, and the introduction of coffee in Vietnam by the French, is responsible for Vietnam's current economic boost. 30 years ago, 60% of Vietnamese lived below the national poverty line; today, that number has fallen to below 10%, an extraordinary achievement. How? Vietnam has emerged as a major player in the global coffee trade, its market share rising from 0.1% to 20% in the same time period, ensuring mass employment for the first time since colonization. Is the system perfect? No- we have learned that diversified economies are integral to development, and nations too dependent on a single sector of the economy can face ruin when confronted with fluctuating market prices, supply, and global demand. There could be improvements to the existing trade, and the government could be doing even more for those who fall below the poverty line- the average Vietnamese worker still only makes a paltry $1300 annual salary- but this is a major step in the right direction. Hopefully this trend can continue, and Vietnam can continue its rise and become a fully developed nation, much like its predecessors in Asia, South Korea, China, and Japan.

Well for one thing this gives a chance for growth at the expense of others. I noticed though that the numbers stated that since the end of the war in 1975 the poverty level has decreased from 60% to 10%. But what about the possibility of corruption? environmentally there appears to be deforestation, lots of water usage therefore future water shortage.

Typically I would always associate coffee and coffee beans coming from Spanish speaking countries and I would associate Asian countries with drinking tea. This threw me for a little twist, The Vietnamese do drink coffee though. Coffee was introduced to Vietnam in the 19th century by the French. A majority of their coffee beans are exported since the country needs money. After the Vietnam war had ended, their communist ally, The Soviet Union did nothing to help the crippled country. Agriculture was a disaster, bu the government decided to take a risk in the 80s with growing coffee. It was a success and kept increasing 20%-30% every year in the 90s. Now it employs over two million people. Even major brands like Nestle has coffee bean growing rights there.

Another day, another photo gallery. This time we have a stunning array of pictures from Southeast Asia, mainly from Vietnam and Cambodia. Many of these pictures showcase the importance of the sea to life in those regions, as well as the history, which is deeply involved with Buddhism, that is often glossed over in western history books.

If I had a helicopter I would certainly be taking it out to see stuff like this. Vietnam is very natural looking. Its lands are filled with awesome demography and topography. What a beautiful sight to see.

These are amazing photos of Vietnam and Cambodia. It shows a different perspective of how many people see these countries, either from stories or on the news or forms of media. Its completly different than the rice patty filled areas and the pictures of poverty striken people, extremly dirty and starving to death. It jus shows that if people dont reach out themselves to find out the truth of masny places in the world, they are only going to believe the stereotypes that they are showed on television.

Many companies have moved their customer service lines to Manila to take advantage of workers who speak lightly accented English and are familiar with American culture.

The geography of globalization is epitomized by relentless change and marked by continual turnover. Cultural and economic factors play significant roles in creating potential advantages for receiving outsourced jobs (whether that is beneficially long-term is another discussion).

The fact that so many Filipinos speak English is an important one to understand. This brings jobs to the Philippines, but at the expense of local culture. High income and social standing in the Philippines is often correlated with English, as many of the high-ranking citizens attend universities in the United States and return with degrees, and in turn teach their children English. This marginalizes their own language in a way, and is something to keep aware of, as it's one thing that the United States does not face in many areas, that most other countries around the world do.

I liked this article simply because I could relate it to my own personal experiences speaking with someone at a call center. I guess it is kind of interesting that the Phillippines has overtaken India in terms of number of call centers. What was reallly interesting though was how familiar those at the call centers were of Americans.

Companies have moved their customer service lines to Manila because there the workers speak a lightly accented English and are more familiar with American culture then they are over in India. This shows the maturation of the outsourcing buisness and shows the preference for American English.

I was most shocked by how Americanized these individual were. I understand that the Philippines were under American control for a fair period of time, but the country obtained its sovereign independence of the US sometime in the mid-40s. They have had close to 80 years to develop their own history, yet the author mentioned the citizens were still watching shows like “Friends” and speaking American English better than other foreign English speakers. It just goes to show how a colony is permanently marked by their past. I am not entirely sure this is a good thing, but at least one positive that came out of the US’s impact is that in speaking more American English there are more call center jobs. As the article mentioned, the jobs helped their sluggish economy. Still, the only reason these jobs are being offered is due to the amount companies save. Not only do the companies avoid paying American workers, whose salary is much higher, the companies are also in an area with better infrastructure. So even though the article claims the companies paid more because the Philippine workers cost $50 more than those from India, they save money on overhead and have better satisfied customers! Looking at call centers from the company’s perspective shows that this former colony is just a pawn once again. Therefore, when we look at intent, globalization just becomes negative again.

The ancient city of Angkor — the most famous monument of which is the breathtaking ruined temple of Angkor Wat — might have collapsed due to valiant but ultimately failed efforts to battle drought, scientists find.

Why do societies collapse? Often they are overextended, consume too many resources for their hinterland network to supply or they aren't able to adapt to changes to the system. Angkor Wat, the largest urban complex of the pre-industrial world, collapsed primarily due to drought conditions and a changing ecology. Without sufficient water resources, the network collapsed. What other environment 'collapses' can you think of?

It's easy to forget that for most of history, even the greatest of empires were subject to the whims of the climate. The ability to survive in places where humans really shouldn't thrive is only a recent development thanks to technology, but a drought is something the mightiest army can't fight, and all the wealth in the world will not stop, without the right technology.

This new study shows that even back in time people struggled with environmental challenges. We normally think of people in the past as being much more adaptive to their environments and that only in the modern age nature and humans have come into conflict. The surrender of Angkor Wat to drought shows that even though we have amazing technology today, water is still a staple of life.

Naturally, that which fails to adapt to its environment will not survive. Such was the likely fate of Angkor. But was this early industrial area the cause of its own drought demise? I'll answer this question with another modern one: Are booming metropolises of today having an impact on their environment? Look at the American Southwest, where the booming populations of Las Vegas and Phoenix, and the water use that goes along with it, are slowly sucking dry Lake Mead. Though in both cases the climate is becoming drier itself, adaptations could be the remedy. Just as the inhabitants of Easter Island caused their own demise as well, it truly pays to learn from the past and take proactive precautions to prevent such worse-case scenarios. Luckily today there is knowledge to do such that, and now the issue goes to getting that message acknowledged and acted upon.

This reminds me of the theories as to why Easter Island fell. Although what many people know of Easter Island is the giant heads, there was once a flourishing civilization in the area but many scholars theorize that they deforested the island to a point that they ran out of resources and had to flee to survive.

This is an interesting historical find that's important to the culture of Japan. This document was the blueprint for the education policies and morals implemented in schools which can help account for Japan's militaristic tendencies during the Second World War. It's important for even history which is not so wonderful to be put on display, as it's just as much a part of the past. An interesting side note also is the idea that history is portrayed differently in different countries. Japan was an ally of Nazi Germany during the second World War, and as such, one will find that the Nazis aren't as vehemently opposed as they are in the US and Europe. One thing I've found from consuming media from both countries is that the US more often than not portrays "evil" Nazis, while Japan flips this around and portrays German soldiers neutrally or "more human" more often than not.

At a new restaurant, expats find a taste of home and locals try foreign treats like fortune cookies.

Imagine living in China and missing Chinese food. It happens. American expatriates who grew up with popular takeout dishes like General Tso's chicken can't find it in China because it essentially doesn't exist here. Much of the Chinese food we grew up with isn't really Chinese. It's an American version of Chinese food. Chinese immigrants created it over time, adapting recipes with U.S. ingredients to appeal to American palates. Now, Americans living in Shanghai can get a fix of their beloved Chinatown cuisine at a new restaurant.

Now this is interesting. Migrants from a home country shift their culture to appeal a bit more to the country they integrate into, and then the home country adopts these changes to cater to tourists from the integrated country. I can't tell if this counts as reclaiming a facet of culture that was changed, solely a smart business move, or both.

This is a cool article because many times we assume Chinese food is actually Chinese when it isn't. All of the food we eat that we think is Chinese is just our own American versions of it. If you go to that part of the world, that type of food isn't even found there. Now Americans living in Shanghai can go to a restaurant and experience what they would if they were living in America. American-Chinese food is very popular and to see it reach Shanghai is incredible because of how influential it has become. They faced many problems and not many people even believed that they'd stay open but their success has brought joy to the people living in that area.

Genius idea for these two guys to capitalize on a market that would seem to be non-existent. I have always thought that Chinese food in America was the way it was in China. Knowing that it is not and knowing how many Americans are in China, not to mention how much American culture has an effect in China, especially food, this is a great way to bring American culture to the East. Like the one lady said, she felt like she was at home when she ate the meal. The power of food is amazing.

This is the opposite of American franchises going into a foreign country. The franchises have to cater to the culture foods or go out of business. McDonalds as we see it in America serve hamburgers but in some Asian countries they serve oriental soups and must cater to their culture foods or go out of business. Here in this article its the culture of America's way of making Chinese food and bringing it into china.

The thing that always stumps me about pictures after bombings and other disasters is the reason why some things are left standing. Here we see buildings destroyed and utterly annihilated as far as the eye can see, yet the telephone poles are still standing in some areas. The picture can't capture the true scope of the destruction, but it also shows how destruction is a bit random in its own way.

The panorama is eery. The trees are dead, there is rubble, it is literally a deadzone. No scary movie or horror story can compare to this type of devastation. The black and white contrast seems to add even more depth to the pictures because of the consistent trend of nothingness. It shows how massive the damage actually was. What I found interesting is the trolley line with people riding bikes or walking on the same road. Thinking of how they walked around after the bombs had dropped must be the strangest feeling because everything around them was simply gone.

These images are chilling and sad. The United States is the only country to ever use the Atomic Bomb on another country, a status I am not proud of. We can see why for 60 years people lived in constant fear during the Cold War. Also some would argue that the Atom Bomb has prevented world wars since WWII. It makes you fearful of the one leader who has access to A bombs and chooses to use them.

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